State cannabis division names new director

The state’s Cannabis Control Division has a new director in Todd Stevens, an appointment that follows a year of turnover in the role and comes as the division has begun ramping up enforcement against noncompliant businesses.

Stevens began his role as director of the CCD on Monday. Bernice Geiger, a CCD spokeswoman, told the Journal that his annual salary is $120,000.

“In the past year, New Mexico has established a thriving new industry, licensed more than 2,000 cannabis businesses, and held those businesses to the high standard that comes with an adult-use cannabis market,” Stevens said in a statement. “I am committed to building on this success while protecting consumer safety and promoting business practices that help this new industry continue to be a transformational economic driver.”

Stevens comes from one of Colorado’s largest cannabis operators, Native Roots Cannabis Co., which has locations throughout the state.

He started with the company in 2015 and has worked as a store manager, district manager, and most recently as manager of training and professional development, a role he assumed in 2021.

At Native Roots, he designed and developed customized and interactive classroom and e-learning solutions, which included a retail sales training program. He also, in his time as a district manager, oversaw the operations of five stores.

His appointment comes as the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — which oversees the CCD — has seen a revolving door of directors in the past year.

Kristen Thomson, the state’s first cannabis director, started in the role in November 2021 — just months after the Cannabis Regulation Act was signed into law. But Thomson left less than a year in when she sent in her resignation letter in June 2022.

Carolina Barrera led for a short period before handing it over to Andrew Vallejos, then the acting director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, in August 2022. Vallejos filled in as acting director through March before resigning. RLD Superintendent Linda Trujillo assumed the role of acting director since Vallejos’ departure.

Despite turnover for the top position at the CCD, the division has ramped up enforcement against noncompliant businesses recently — a direct response to industry leaders who have for months discussed the issue of illicit activity in the market, such as the sale of out-of-state cannabis products.

The CCD in July revoked its first license when it published a final order against Paradise Exotics Distro, a licensee that inaccurately reported sales and sold cannabis with California stampings.

A state district judge also approved a preliminary injunction this month against Sawmill Sweetleaf following a petition from the CCD, a first under a new provision in law that went into effect in June.

Also this month, the division has revoked one more cannabis license and filed three additional notices of contemplated action against cannabis businesses.

Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, told the Journal that Stevens’ experience will prove beneficial to the CCD as it “continues to work closely with the New Mexico cannabis industry to focus on enforcement, which is the key priority for this stage of our industry’s development.”